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What Harper, Ford and McGuinty can learn from Chris Christie

By Robin V. Sears

Thu., Jan. 9, 2014

You may have been puzzled about why so many American Republican political operatives so visibly salivate at the prospect of Chris Christie, a one-term New Jersey governor, as their best presidential hopeful.

He’s bombastic, loud and overweight; so blunt he regularly gives unintended offence; and from a state that never figures in electoral college calculations. He’s an uncomfortable figure for many conservatives as someone who has visibly “worked across the aisle,” most notoriously giving President Barack Obama a televised hug for his leadership on the Hurricane Sandy cleanup. All in all, not what would be seen as the most desirable political horseflesh.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie gave a tour de force performance on Jan. 9, 2014, as he apologized at length for the biggest scandal of his political career. (Jeff Zelevansky / GETTY IMAGES)

But Christie’s appeal was plain to see yesterday as he responded to the biggest scandal of his political career. In one of the longest press conferences ever — nearly two hours nationally televised — he dramatically demonstrated rare political chops.

The details of the scandal — his staff allegedly used its power to punish a political rival by disrupting traffic on the George Washington Bridge — matter little. As in every such imbroglio it’s the handling of the revelation, the steps taken to respond to the crisis and most crucially any attempt to cover up responsibility that determine survival.

Christie has built his career on his openness and transparency. To have failed to successfully address the scandal would have effectively ended that career. Therefore, for 108 minutes the governor doubled down, took the considerable risk of denying any knowledge of the stupid behaviour of his staff, announced the dismissal of two key aides and then apologized, abjectly, over and over — at length.

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Asked if he thought the scandal would damage his credibility, he said what Messieurs Stephen Harper, Rob Ford and Dalton McGuinty would be wise to reflect on:

“Look, if I didn’t stand up, take responsibility and apologize directly to the people of New Jersey, as I have done today, I think that would be a risk. But I’m not that kind of person . . . I’m the governor and the things that happen on my watch are my responsibility . . . The person who needs to apologize is me . . . All I can do is stand up, be genuine, and sincerely apologize, and I have. And I hope that . . . the people of New Jersey will accept that apology.”

His mastery of the details of the file and its cast of foolish characters, his detailed knowledge of the assembled media and his comfort with even smart-aleck questions were astonishing given that he learned of the scale of the scandal less than 24 hours earlier. He took questions from dozens of reporters, most of whom he addressed by name with a humble, low-key and compelling demeanour. It was a tour de force.

Unless, of course, he isn’t being as truthful as he desperately tried to appear.

The scandal, like our Senate fiasco, seems to have involved half a dozen senior political and bureaucratic officials all close to the governor. Having thrown several key aides under the bus — as Harper has — he must now pray that none of them can convincingly contradict him. It strains his critics’ credulity that — like the Ontario power plant scandal — the governor had no knowledge of a damaging decision papered by dozens of emails and which seemed to involve so many of his senior staff. Having so vehemently denied his knowledge of the scandal, if he is successfully challenged his political career is over.

However, if his version of events stands the coming months of investigation and he is vindicated, this press conference will be taught in crisis management courses for years to come. It is hard to think of a more authentic public apology from a senior politician in decades. If Christie is being fully candid, his performance on Thursday will be one of the most potent demonstrations of the power of public apology in many years, and an example from which our leaders could learn a great deal.

Robin V. Sears is a Principal with The Earnscliffe Strategy Group and a former NDP operative.

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